I am a watercolour visual artist and instructor living and working in Victoria, BC, Canada. This medium was introduced to me after a period of ill health, and since has developed into a passion.Please visit often and follow me.

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Saturday, November 16, 2013

My newest painting: "Aqua Vit"

Painting glass in watercolour; it seems highly unlikely to me that one could paint something that is transparent, and make it resemble the physical object.

I have been blessed enough to study techniques for painting glass with some masterful artists: Paul Jackson, Leslie Redhead, Gerry Thompson, and Soon Warren. Each of these Artists approach this subject differently, and I have learned something different from every one. I have incorporated something from each course I've taken into my paintings thus creating my own style.

My objective is to achieve that smooth and shiny, reflective, transparent surface. The key to this is very simple once you know the tricks. It's the practice factor that makes it a challenge. I have painted many successful and not so successful images of glass in my efforts to perfect these skills.

My most recent paintings "Fruits of my Labour", "Harvest Green", and "Aqua Vit", are three of what I would suggest without arrogance that have been successful pieces. By successful, I don't mean prize winning. What I mean is they have the look and feel of three dimensions and the glass is smooth, shiny, reflective and transparent. I will say though that "Fruits of My Labour" won an Honourable Mention at the recent CSPWC regional show "Western Streams", and Harvest Green was juried into a show in Vancouver at the FCA Gallery. You are seeing this piece "Aqua Vit" first (before I enter it anywhere.) All three pieces have a common theme...wine.

My recent teaching expedition to Naramata with Leslie Redhead and 13 other artists reinforced my love of painting still life, glass, and reflections and as a matter of course...wine. So why not paint everything wine...so many possible compositions.

This desire to paint "everything wine"...also has roots in my and my husband Glenn's interest in wine. We have been buying and tasting wines seriously for about a year now. I think we've always had good taste in wine, we've just never explored it before. Now, we belong to a few wine clubs, and we have been trying to develop a palette for good wine. Another 10,000 bottles, and 10,000 meals and pairings and we may have an inkling...

My most recent still life painting "Aqua Vit" was set up during the Naramata experience. Still life settings were created for the students to paint at the Wineries and Vineyards we visited.

This still life consisted of a background fabric; it is a simple warm yellow brocade; the raised stitching matched nicely with the logo for the Poplar Grove Winery. The simple wine bottle and goblet that became a series of complex shapes made possible by the fabric in behind. These two objects overlapped and became the focal point. The contrast of the grape leaves and the fruit of the rich blue-purple of the cabernet franc varietal made me drool...and I ached to paint it.

I originally thought to keep it simple using just a few objects. However, as I drew out the many small shapes that made up the whole, it became more and more daunting..."what was I getting myself into?" I was not dissuaded. I was more determined than ever to try and make it work.

In the process while painting the 17.25x15 piece, I evaluated it at each step, and I took my time. Patience for me was integral to getting this piece finished; with more than 60 hours in this average size piece, without patience, I would have pulled my hair out. The image has many layers of mainly three colours, Quin Gold, Pthalo Blue, and Permanent Rose, and mixtures of each, and a few dabs of highlight colours here and there at the end. And the simple key I spoke of earlier is the 9 step value scale and the shapes.

So, tell me was I successful? You be the judge...critique's are welcome...

Cheers and keep your brush wet!
Sam

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

Painting
transparent objects can be tricky. The question is how can we
illustrate the form of the object while still allowing the object to
appear see-through or transparent. With painting transparent objects,
there are some basic tips that can help us achieve this goal more
easily. They are: - See more at:
http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/2010/12/watercolor-basics-how-to-paint-glass.html#sthash.XCzTI3JJ.dpuf

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About Me

I am a fine art watercolourist and instructor living and working in Victoria, BC. Born in Fredericton New Brunswick in 1960, Sam Boehner moved to the west coast in 1992. After finishing a degree in Biology at the University of Victoria and a long career in fisheries management Sam began painting in late 2007. This new-found passion was a way into self-discovery and relaxation.